Fluid drive



June 6, 1944. L, P. JOSSIM AL 2,350,683

FLUID DRIVE- Filed Nov. 25, 1941 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor;

By I

A Home June 6, 1944.

L. P. JOSSIM ETAL FLUID DRIVE Filed Nov. 25, 194i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Inventors 6/) Zea dd J'Paa/ r7015 Attorney Patented June 6, 1944 OFFICE I rum) omvr Leopold Paul Jossim and John Stuart Kellett.

Royal Oak, Mich.

Application November 25, 1941, Serial No. 420.440

'1 Claim. I ((1121-59) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in fluid drives particularly for -motor vehicles although said drive may. of course, be used in any other manner and for any other purpose for which it may befound adapted and desirable.

The primary object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a fluid drive'oi the aforementioned character comprising novel means whereby any or all of the wheels of a vehicle may be actuated without the necessity of using the customary differential 1 gears, shafts, bearings, etc.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a fluid drive of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction. strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in use, compact, light in weight, and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following spe'cifica tion, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view through a vehicle wheel equipped with a fluid drive in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the wheel with the major portion of the tire broken away.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a circular block 6 which is rigidly secured on the outer end of a tubular axle housing i. Projecting from the block 6 is a spindle 8. Journaled on the spindle 8 is a wheel which is designated generally by reference numeral 2.

The wheel 2 includes a circular housing in of any suitable metal, which housing is journaled on the spindle 8. Roller bearings II' are provided on the spindle 8 for the, housing In. The housing i ii has bored therein a plurality of radial cylinders ii. The central portion of the housing I0 is formed to provide a chamber i2 with which the radial cylinders ll communicate.

The chamber i2 of the housing l0 accommodates a pair of spaced, opposed, stationary face cams l3 which are fixed bykeys 46 on the spin- .dle 8. Pistons H are operable in the cylinders H. The pistons H are integral with connecting rods IS. The rods l5 extend between the cams l3 and have mounted transversely in their inner end portions pins I6 which project into the grooves or channels of said cams. Rollers I! are journaled on the end portions of the pins l6 and travel in the face cams I3 thus operatively connecting the pistons M to said cams. 41 on the'spindle 8 races the cams i3.

The inner portion of the housing l0 encloses. and rotates'about a disc i8 which is fixed by a key 48 on the spindle 8 and which abuts the block 6. A fluid delivery pipe ill from a suitable pump communicates with a chamber 20 in the block 6. A fluid return pipe 2| communicates with a substantially similar chamber 22 in the block 6. The opposed faces of the block 6 and the disc i8 have formed therein complemental annular channels 23. A passage 24 in the-block 6 connects the chamber '20 with the channels 23. block 6 and the disc iii are complementalannular channels 25. A passage 26 establishes communication between the channels 25 and the chamber 22. Formed in the outer side of 'the disc l8 are segmental channels 21 and 28. 5 A passage 29 establishes communication between the channels 23 and the channel 21. A passage 30 establishes communication between the channels 28 and 25.

Communicating with the outer end portions of the cylinders ii are ports 3i which serve for both intake and exhaust. Angular passages 32 connect the ports 3| first with the channel 21 and then with the channel 28 as the wheel r0- tates.

A lubricant seal 33 is provided in the inner portion of the wheel. Mounted on the periphery of the housing i0 is a rim 34 which carries a. pneumatic tire 35.. Lugs 36 on the housing ill removably secure the rim 34 in position.

It'is thought that the operation of the apparatus will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, fluid under pressure enters the chamber 20 from the line I9. When the pistons l4 are riding on the high portions of the cams l3 the passages 32 are in communicationwith the channel 21. Thus, fluid enters the cylinders it under pressure from the chamber 20 and the pistons H are forced inwardly. This inward pressure causes therollers H to travel on the cams l3 toward the low portions thereof thereby causing the housing in to rotate about the stationary cams. When the low portions of the stationary cams l3 are reached and the pistons are at substantially the limit of their inward stroke the passages 32 are brought into communication with the channel 28 and, as the pistons M are moved outwardly by the cams i3 the fluid is expelled from the cylinders ii and A collar Also formed in the opposed faces of the is discharged through the channel 20, the passage", the channels 25, the passage 26, the chamber 22 and the return line 2|. An annular channel 43 in the outer face of the disk l8 receives fluid for lubrication from the channels 25 through a passage 44. A substantially similar channel 45 in the inner face of the disk l8 communicates with the channel 21.

It is believed that the many advantages of a hydraulic drive constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood,

bers therein, a spindle projecting from the block,-

a wheel journaled on said spindle, said wheel comprising a, pair of spaced, opposed side plates and a radial cylinder block mounted on said plates, a pair of stationary opposed face cams.

mounted on the spindle between the side plates and within the confines of the cylinder block, fluid actuated pistons mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder block and operatively connected to the cams, a stationary disk on the spindle between the block and one of the plates, said disk and block having opposed, complemental concentric pairs of channels therein, the inner channels communicating with one of the chambers, the outer channels communicating with the other of said chambers, said disk further having concentric, segmental channels in one face thereof, one of the segmental channels communicating with the innermost of the first-named channels,

- the other segmental channel communicating with the outermost of the first-named channels, one of the plates having passages therein for connecting the cylinders successively to the segmental channels, a fluid delivery pipe connected 

